Conservationists have expressed concern over the incident inside the land allotted for the proposed Patanjali Mega Food and Herbal Park at Ghoramari in Tezpur where a female elephant got injured as it fell into a trench dug for construction purposes.
The area, which falls near Nameri National Park and Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, is known to be frequented by wildlife, especially elephants.
Rathin Barman, Deputy Director of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), which brought the elephant calf to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), said that the mother elephant had apparently sustained serious injuries, including a leg fracture and possible internal head injuries.
“The mother elephant is being treated at the site while we have shifted the calf to the CWRC. While the area might not be a traditional elephant corridor, it is frequently used by elephants which come to the paddy fields during harvesting time,” he said.
Mubina Akhtar, secretary of Kaziranga Wildlife Society, said that over the years the area had turned out to be an important elephant refuge, with elephants often thronging the area in herds.
“Although the area was allotted for an industrial park and later for the Patanjali venture, the area had remained in an abandoned state for a long time and consequently it turned out to be an important elephant refuge. Close to the Nameri National Park and the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, the area as such is important for elephants,” she said.
Akhtar added that the incident also shows the absence of a rapid and efficient response mechanism for wildlife in distress, particularly accidents involving large animals like elephant. “The Forest Department should treat the situation seriously and put in place an effective response mechanism. It is still using primitive means to respond to such situations. It can use the huge amounts of Central funds lying unutilised with it,” she said.
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